Incubator for infants



May 24, 1955 E. c. DIXON ETAL 2,708,927

INCUBATOR FOR INFANTS Filed Nov. 2l, 1952 BYW/a/AM 001. ro/v e l2 13 (17 .A yIHIl In! mmh du" @Y lull vH62 fjwff- Arr-oen s United States Patent IN CUBATOR FOR INFANTS Edward C. Dixon, Rocky River, and William E. Chilton, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Conh'nental Hospital Service, inc., Lakewood, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 21, 1952, Serial No. 321,862

12 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 1) This invention relates to incubators for use in caring by such housing and cooperating therewith in defining an incubation chamber, and in which the hood is provided with one or more handhole or armhole openings affording access to the incubation chamber without requiring lifting or removal of the hood.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our earlier application Serial No. 192,016, filed October 25, 1950, now Patent No. 2,624,333 granted January 6, 1953.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel construction for an incubator of this kind by which a more satisfactory closing of the armhole openings is obtained without use of a cover which would need to be manipulated and without employing armhole sleeves such as have been used heretofore for this purpose and which are subject to numerous objections and disadvantages.

One such disadvantage is that the length of the sleeves heretofore used in such armhole openings makes access to the incubation chamber diliicult because the hands and arms must be threaded through the full length of the sleeves. Another disadvantage is that during the withdrawal of the arms, the sleeves usually become turned inside-out and need to be reversed before arms can be again inserted into the incubation chamber. Long sleeves dangling from the hood are also a disadvantage in other respects in that they are likely to interfere with the comfort of the infant, are subject to wrinkling, twisting and tangling. Such sleeves also quickly become soiled and are not easily cleaned or replaced.

Another object of this invention is', therefore, to provide novel incubator construction of this character, in which the access openings or armholes are controlled by self-closing diaphragm closures of a very simple form and which are highly efficient and satisfactory, because they freely permit a direct insertion or withdrawal of the arms of an attendant and maintain a seal around the arms without causing inconvenience or discomfort of any kind.

Still another object is to provide a novel armhole closure for an incubator, or the like, which comprises a resiliently exible sheet having slits therein emanating from a common junction point.

A further object is to provide such a novel armhole closure comprising superposed sheets of such llexible material, preferably sheet rubber material, and in which the slits of one sheet divide the same into sectors which cover the slits of the other sheet.

Additionally, this invention provides incubator construction of the character above referred to in which the rigid transparent hood is provided with novel seat means for engagement with the top of the incubator housing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the following detailed description and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

ice

Fig. 1 is a perspective View showing an infant incubator embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is another perspective view thereof, showing the hood swung to its open position and with the ice container removed;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation showing one of the armhole closures on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the armhole closure of Fig. 3, the view being taken on section line 4 4 thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the lower edge of the hood and the top edge of the housing, as indicated by section line 5-5 of Fig. l.

The incubator of the present invention comprises, in general, an upright open-top housing or cabinet 11 having a bed recess 12 in the top thereof, and an upwardly dished rigid transparent hood or cover 13 supported by the housing and cooperating therewith in dening an incubation chamber 14.

The housing 11 is substantially identical as to its construction and components with the open-top incubator housing disclosed in the above-mentioned earlier application and, for purposes of disclosure of the present invention, need be only briefly described herein. The housing 11 comprises pairs of laterally spaced upright end walls 1S, 16 and side walls 17, 18 and which walls have their upper edges lying in a common transverse plane. The bed recess 12 contains a suitable mattress or pad 19 adapted to receive an infant thereon and which is supported by a transverse wall or bed support 20 extending between and secured to the side walls 17 and 18.

The housing 11 also embodies an air-circulating passage, the ends of which communicate with the incubation chamber 14 through the upright end passages or slots 21 and 22. The portion of this air-circulating passage which is located internally of the housing and beneath the bed support 20, is provided with an electric air heating unit which is carried by a mounting plate 23 and controlled by the knob 24 of a combined switch and thermostat device. A conductor cord 25 supplies electric current to this electric heater, and the functioning of the heater is indicated visually by signal lamps 26.

The air-circulating passage of the housing 11 is also provided with a humidifying means in the form of a pan or drawer 27 slidably extending into the housing beneath the bed support 2) and adapted to contain a pool of water whose surface is exposed to the circulating air. Adjacent the connecting passage 22, the housing 11is provided with a support shelf 28 on which a forarninous ice container 29 is removably supported and is adapted to contain a quantity of ice for cooling the incubation chamber and the air being circulated therethrough.

The hood 13 comprises a one-piece transparent rigid body or cover member 13a which has been molded from a suitable plastic material and is of a size and shape, such that the upwardly extending recess or inverted pocket defined by this member will have a substantial vertical depth and will cooperate with the bed recess 12 in forming the incubation chamber 14 and such that an infant can be comfortably accommodated by the bed 19 and will be visible through the side walls of the hood from at least three lateral directions. The hood 13 has one edge thereof attached to the housing 11 by suitable hinges 30 for swinging of the hood to the relatively tilted open position shown in Fig. 2. A flexible retaining bracket or linkage 31 connected with the housing and the hood, retains the latter in its open position.

In accordance with the present invention, the hood 13 is provided around the lower edge thereof with a laterally projecting integral perimetral flange 32 which is adapted to seat on the top edge of the housing 11 when the hood is in its closed position. The lateral llange 32 terminates in a depending perimetral lip 33 which telescopes over the walls of the housing for a short distance and prevents accidental lateral shifting of the hood out of its seated position on the housing.

To enable an attendant to care for the infant without lifting the hood i3, the hood is provided with a pair of laterally spaced armhole openings 34 in the front wall thereof and which are spaced apart a distance such that both arms of the attendant can be conveniently inserted simultaneously through these openings in caring for the infant lying on the bed 19. ln accordance with the present invention, the armhole openings 34 are 'provided with self-closing diaphragm closures 35 which will be described next.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the diaphragm closures 35 each comprise a pair of superposed resiliently llexible sheets 36 and 37 which are here shown as being in the form of disks disposed in a faee-to-face surface contact with each other. The sheets 36 and 37 are secured to the front wall of thehood 13 by a clamping ring 38 and attaching screws 39 extending through the latter and through the sheets adjacent the edges thereof.

The sheets 36 and 37 are each provided with a group of slits 40, preferably radially extending slits, extending therethrough and emanating from a common junction 4l. which is located substantially at the center of the armhole opening 34. The slits 4) divide the sheets 35 and 37 into sectors 42 and, by reason of the staggered relation of the slits, the sectors of each sheet overlie and substantially close the slits of the other sheet, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The sheets 36 and 37 can be made of any resiliently ilexible material, such as soft vulcanized rubber sheet, rubberized fabric, or any other fabric or sheet material having a flexibility such that the sectors 42 of each sheet will tend to assume a substantially coplanar position overlying and closing the slits of the other sheet. Soft vulcanized rubber is preferable for these sheets because it has an inherently smooth and somewhat slippery surface characteristic which will readily permit an attendant to insert her hands and arms through the armhole openings 34 simply by pushing her hands through the diaphragm closures 35. Such sheet rubber is very durable and can be easily cleaned by a simple washing operation.

In addition to permitting a free and easy insertion of the attendants hands and arms into the incubation chamber 14,'the diaphragm closures `35 will maintain an effective seal around the arms of the attendant and which will prevent loss of heated and humidied air from the'incubation chamber, as well as the entry of contaminated air from the surrounding room. This seal around the arms of the attendant results from the resilient characteristic of the sheets 36 and 37, which causes the groups of sectors 42 to contract against yor hug the arm of the attendant7 but without causing any discomfort.

The diaphragm closure 35 also permits the free and direct Withdrawal of the attendants arm, whereupon the sectors of the ilexible sheets resume their normally'closed positions. When the closures have resumed such closed position, they are immediately ready for the reinsertion of the attendants arms without requiring any adjustment or preparation, as is the case with armhole sleeves which become turned inside-out and need to be reversed or untangled before the attendants arms can be reinserted therethrough.

Although the armhole closure 3S is here shown as comprising two of the superposed flexible sheets 36 and 37, it should be understood that this closure may, if desired, comprise a single flexible sheet having the slits 40 therein or may comprise a larger number of such sheets than the two sheets shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The hood 13 is here shown as also being provided with air passages in the end walls thereof and which are controlled by adjustably movable dampers 43. lf desired, the hood 13 may also have a thermometer unit 44 therein ISO f-' venient distance for the simultaneous insertion and mounted on the side wall thereof and which consists of the usual wet and dry bulb thermometers 4'4" and 44h which are visible through the transparent front wall of the hood. As is usual in infant incubators of this kind, the hood 13 may also be provided with a tube connection 4S extending through one of its walls and through which oxygen or other gaseous treating medium can be introduced into the incubation chamber.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing, it will now be readily understood, that this invention provides a novel construction for an infant incubator in which the armhole closure or closures of the rigid transparent hood are of a self-closing character and are made of a resiliently ilexible sheet material having slits therein emanating from a common junction point. lt will now also be seen that the present invention provides a novel infant incubator in which the upwardly recessed rigid plastic hood has seating means thereon for eflieient cooperation with the upper end of the housing containing the bed recess, such that the hood cannot easily be jarred out of position.

Although the novel incubator construction of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein to a somewhat detailed extent, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be regarded as being limited correspondingly in scope, but includes all changes and modifications coming within the terms of the claims hereof,

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. ln an incubator or the like, a housing structure defining an incubation chamber, said housing structure having an armhole opening in a wall thereof and communicating with said incubation chamber, and a diaphragm closure for said armhole opening comprising a resiliently flexible sheet extending thereacross and having slits therein, said slits having a common junction point located substantially centrally of said opening.

2. An incubator or the like as dened in claim l in which said slits of the diaphragn closure are radially extending slits radiating rorn a common junction point located substantially centrally of said opening.

3. An incubator or the like as defined in claim l in which said resiliently dexibie sheet is a sheet of soft vulcanized rubber.

4. ln an incubator or the like, a housing structure defining an incubation chamber, said housing structure having an armhole opening in a Wall thereof and communicating with said incubation chamber, and a diaphragm closure for said armhole opening comprising a pair of superposed resiliently Flexible sheets extending thereacress, said sheets each having slits therein emanating from a common junction point located substantially centrally of said opening and dividing the sheet into scctions, the sections of each sheet forming llaps overlying the slits of the other sheet.

5. An incubator or the like as defined in claim 4 in which said superposed ilexible shee' are sheets of soft vulcanized rubber.

6. ln an incubator or the like, an open-top housing, a substantially rigid upwardly recessed transparent hoed on said housing and cooperating therewith to define au incubation chamber, said hood having a pair of armhole openings in a wall thereof and spaced apart a convenient distance for the simultaneous insertion therethrough of both arms of an attendant, and diaphragm closures extending across said armhole openings and each comprising a resiliently ilexible sheet having slits therein, said slits having a common junction point located substantially centrally of the opening.

7. vin an incubator or the like, an open-top housing. a substantially rigid upwardly recessed transparent hood on said housing and cooperating therewith to define au incubation chamber, said hood having a pair of armhole openings in a wall thereof and spaced apart a contherethrough of both arms of an attendant, and diaphragm closures extending across said arrnhole openings and each comprising a pair of superposed resiliently flexible sheets in face-to-face relation, said sheets each having slits therein emanating from a common junction point located substantially centrally of the opening and dividing the sheet into sections, the sections of each sheet forming iiaps overlying the slits of the other sheet.

8. An incubator hood comprising, a one-piece substantially rigid upwardly dished transparent cover member of a substantially quadrangular plan shape and having connected top and side walls, one of said walls having an armhole opening therein, and a diaphragm closure for said armhole opening comprising a resliently iiexible sheet extending thereacross and having slits therein, said slits having a common junction point located substantially centrally of said opening.

9. An incubator hood comprising, a one-piece substantially rigid upwardly dished transparent cover member of a substantially quadrangular plan shape and having connected top and side walls, one of said walls having an armhole opening therein, and a pair of superposed resiiiently liexible sheets extending thereacross, said sheets each having slits therein emanating from a common junction point located substantially centrally of said opening and dividing the sheets into sections, the sections of each sheet forming flaps overlying the slits ot the other sheet.

l0. An incubator hood comprising, a one-piece substantially rigid 'upwardly dished transparent cover member of a substantially quadrangular plan shape and having connected top and side walls, one of said walls having a pair of arrnhole openings spaced apart a convenient distance for the simultaneous insertion therethrough of both arms of an attendant, the diaphragm closures extending across said arnihole openings and each comprising a pair of superposed resiliently flexible sheets in face-to-face relation, said sheets each having slits therein emanating from a common junction point located substantialiy centrally of the opening and dividing the sheet into sections, the sections of each sheet forming aps overlying the slits of the other sheet.

l1. An armhole closure device for a wall opening of an incubator housing or the like comprising, a clamping rim adapted to surround said opening, and a flexible diaphragm sheet extending across the rim enclosure and having its peripheral edge portion clampingly engaged by said rim, said sheet having slits therein extending from a common junction point located within said rim enclosure.

12. An arnihole closure device for a wall opening of an incubator' housing or the like comprising, a clamping rim adapted to surround said opening, and diaphragm means extending across the rim enclosure and comprising superposed Hexible sheets having peripheral portions thereof clainpingly engaged by said rim, said sheets each having slits therein emanating from a common junction located within said rim enclosure and dividing the sheet into sections, the sections of each sheet forming flaps overlying the slits of the other sheet.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,535,645 Scheidecker Apr. 21, 1925 1,900,342 Hess Mar. 7, 1933 1,906,844 Drinker May 2, 1933 2,470,721 Pragel May 17, 1949 2,600,240 Grieb June 10, 1952 

